Stable explosive.



urrnn" s Ans PATENT OFFICE.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER OOMPAN Y, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STABLE EXPLOSIVE.

Patented. June 23, 1908.

Application filed July 21, 1904. Serial No. 217,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FLETcHEn B. HoLMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbury, county of Gloucester, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stable Explosives, of which the following is a full,-clear, and exact description' The object of my invention is to produce a stable nitrated starch. I

Nitrated starch may be used. as an explosive itself, or preferably may be used as a component part of an exp "osive, such as where it is mixed with sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, or some other ox gen earlier, with or without the addition 0 other ingredients. The difficulty with nitrated starch is that it is very unstable, being liable to decomposition. l/Vhen such nitrated starch decomposes, which it is liable to doat'ordinary temperatures, it becomes liable to spon; taneous combustion.

I have discovered that I can produce a 'stablenitrated starch by mixing with nitrated starch a salt of oxalic acid containing ammonium. The mixing may be made in any manner to produce a good mixture. They may be mixed Wet or dry and in any kind of a mixer. Preferably I mix the two in a finely divided powdered condition in a bowl rovided with stirrers or paddles. Preferab y I use an ammonium salt of oxalic acid and of such salts I prefer to use the neutral ammonium oxalate COONH COONH,..

The salts of oxalic acid containing ammonium which I can use include also the double salts containing ammonium, such as sodium ammonium oxalate COO'NaCOONH,,'potassium ammonium oxalate COOK-COONH, Also I can use the acid ammonium oxalate COOHCOONI-I instead of .the neutral ammonium oxalate.- The term ammonium oxalate is used by meto include all of these.

The stabilizing reagent is mixed with the nitrated starch produced in the ordinary well known manner.

' The amount of the reagent I have used is from one-half of one ercent. to twenty percent. More preferabl twenty percent. and most preferably from two to five percent.

Having now fully described my invention, What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is I use from two to 1. A stable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and ammonium oxalate.

2. A stable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and from two to twenty percent. ammonium oxalate.

3. Astable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and from two to five percent. of ammonium oxalate.

4. A stable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch nium oxalate.

5. A stable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and from two to five percent. of neutral ammonium oxalate.

6. A stable nitrated starch consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and from two to twenty percent. of neutral ammonium oxap FLETCHER B. HOLMES. Witnesses M. M. HAMILTON, WILLIAM B. MARKS."

and neutral ammo- 

